Stealing The Heavens

Lao Ai flew up the air alone, stepping on a cloud and slowly disappearing into the sky. His miserable appearance made the people of the six states grin and laugh gloatingly.

Wu Qi folded his arms across his chest and looked coldly at Lao Ai’s back, squinting and smiling happily as well. For someone who could betray at any time and stab him in the back, he thought it would be better if he was pushed to the point of no return. So, after forcing Lao Ai to leave behind all kinds of evidence of his betrayal of Buddhist League, Wu Qi kicked him out and ordered him to return to the Buddhist League and work hard to become a Delightful Buddha.

Dong Hai could even provide him with some resources to boost his cultivation base, Wu Qi had told him. As long as he became the Delightful Buddha, he could make a greater contribution to Dong Hai. No one cared how much risk Lao Ai would have to take in the process, and no one would cry for him even if he died.

Although, Lao Ai did provide a piece of information that Wu Qi took seriously.

After King Zhang Qiu was killed, Lord Long Yang had disappeared. But actually, he was rescued by the last disciple of Dragon Mother Buddha, one of the Buddhist League’s past Buddhas. In today’s Buddhist League, Dragon Mother Buddha was considered one of the most senior figures. She had served over thirty Lord Buddhas, and was very powerful and prestigious. For some unknown reason, her last disciple, Lady Longying, had rescued Lord Long Yang, who was severely wounded and dying, and even fallen in love with him at first sight.

According to Lao Ai, the couple was almost inseparable now. On top of that, as the cultivation technique Lord Long Yang cultivated was on the same track as the Buddhist League, he had gained the favor of Dragon Mother Buddha. As a result, he was now in Buddhist League like a duck in water, more than a hundred times better treated than Lao Ai.

When Lao Ai disappeared into the sky, Wu Qi said to Wei Wuji, “Your Majesty, we need you to work on this Lord Long Yang.”

Wei Wuji pondered for a moment before saying, “He still has a deep affection for Great Wei. I will persuade him if I have the chance.”

They looked at each other and nodded lightly at the same time. If Lord Long Yang had the sense and willingness to be a spy for Dong Hai Alliance, that would be fine. But, if he had gone to Buddhist League wholeheartedly and even turned his dagger at the six states, he could not blame Wu Qi for going after him. With Dong Hai’s current strength, it was far from enough to confront Buddhist League; but if they wanted to deal with Lord Long Yang, he was dead meat.

Great Li Dynasty was wiped out. At Wu Qi’s command, the regiments of the six states and his main force broke camp and split up to purge the eastern provinces. They had made an agreement beforehand that eighty percent of the land, people, and resources they had captured and plundered would go to each of the states, and twenty percent to Dong Hai. As for how much they could gain, it would depend on their abilities and the pace of progress.

Heaven and Buddhist League would not sit idly and watch Dong Hai plunder and abduct the mortal kingdoms from the outer heavenly realms. They would certainly come out with some countermeasure. Wu Qi’s goal was to grab as many things as he could before they did that. He had told the men of the six states to retreat to Dong Hai City as soon as they discovered the presence of Heaven and Buddhist League, and to stay behind the thick defense of the city, never to fight them head-on.

The seven regiments set out at the same time. Great Yan, Great Chu, and Great Zhao headed northeast; Great Qin, Great Wei, and Great Qi southeast. Meanwhile, Wu Qi went straight east with his main force. The marching of the mighty army shocked all the eastern provinces at once.

The provinces that remained loyal to Great Yu had submitted letters of allegiance, and were providing rear services as well as supplies for the army. Meanwhile, the provincial officials associated with King Xin Shan and King Li Shan fled in haste, bringing with them guards, resources, and people. As for the mortal kingdoms who had just landed on Pangu Continent, they were completely wiped out by the Dong Hai Army.

In just three months, the seven regiments of Dong Hai had swept across more than twenty thousand provinces. Over one thousand mortal kingdoms from outer heavenly realms and their armies were wiped out, their imperial clans executed, and their people captured. Some three hundred immortal sects that landed on Pangu Continent along with the outer heavenly realms were annihilated as well. The immortals’ flesh and blood were offered to Lei Meng, which had further improved the overall strength of the regiments.

When Wu Qi’s Dong Hai showed its tusks, it was like a dragon who began to hunt after a long sleep. The momentum and prowess were awe-inspiring.

One day, when Wu Qi had just led his army to destroy a small sect and was marching east, a brilliant golden light suddenly burst from the top of a mountain in the middle of a mountain range ahead. About ten thousand miles in front of the army, a small camp stood on the mountaintop. A young man in a brocade robe of flowers, armed with a pike and stepped on a cloud, was leading hundreds of heavenly soldiers toward the army.

Looking at the handsome young general, Wu Qi sighed and said, “Heaven has finally struck. I wonder what excuse they will use this time?”

Even as he spoke, the general had led his men to less than three miles from the army. Swinging his pike, the handsome youth snapped, “Are those Great Yu King of Dong Hai’s men in front of me? Tell King of Dong Hai to come out and talk to me now!”

Wu Qi made no answer. How could he jump out straightaway when a random person came challenging him? If he did so, he would have brought his lofty status down to the ground. He cleared his throat and said indifferently, “Anyone…”

Before Wu Qi could fully interpret his king’s bearing, Catfish had already rushed out toward the general on a water cloud. She laughed loudly and said, “This little boy looks fair and tender…he must be very delicious! He is mine!” When she was about a mile away from the youth, she cast a restrictive spell, stretching out a hand to grab him with her mouth wide open.

Catfish was strong in physical strength but weak in her attainment of magic and divine ability. Even so, with her magic power of a Primordial expert, the spell had transformed into three dark, chilly streams of water that swirled around the general and turned into three freezing ice rings, trapping him within. Amidst her vicious laughter, she transformed her head to her true form—the flood dragon—sticking out her long tongue that was dripping with saliva as she rushed in front of him.

All of a sudden, the three ice rings shattered to pieces with a crisp crunch as the general thrust his pike. For a moment, the whole sky was blotted with blue pikes shaped like birds, at least tens of thousands of them. In the blink of an eye, they all struck on Catfish’s body. As the pike was extremely sharp, and there was even the power of thunder attached to its tip, Catfish’s tough scales were instantly pierced through. Lightning and flames burst out underneath her skin, riddling her with countless bloody holes the size of thumbs. Blood sprayed out from all over her as she threw her head back and roared in great pain.

The general then lashed out the pike and struck Catfish in the waist. She grunted as the attack threw her far away, slamming headlong into one of the flying ships’ prow. The immense impact shattered a dozen layers of the ship’s defensive barriers before she finally stopped.

Wu Qi’s pupils constricted. He glanced toward the general with a purple gleam flashing in his eyes, and in an instant, he had found out the youth’s overall strength. Catfish was indeed careless; the general was actually an eighth-tier Primordial Immortal, one tier higher than her. In addition, the pike he was holding was a genuine, terribly powerful Primordial Artifact. No wonder Catfish was severely wounded by him!

The dragon python sisters and Catfish were good friends. As soon as they saw her suffering a defeat and being covered in blood, they hurried over and helped her up.

Princess Zhang Le flew over to them and gently ran her fingers across Catfish’s body. The general had attacked ruthlessly, as the pike had pierced through almost all her joints and vital points. If it had not been for the fact that she was a demon immortal, which gave her a stronger vitality than ordinary immortals, the attack would have killed her.

The atmosphere in the army became suffocating. Catfish’s formidable fighting power had become known to all through the battles of the past three months. Her sickly huge hammer had smashed the defensive formations of seven immortal sects, and no one had ever survived under her terrible strike. But, the young general, who appeared to be thirteen or fourteen years old, had severely wounded her with only one attack. How strong was he?

Princess Zhang Le carried Catfish back to the rear hall in Wu Qi’s ship. Primordial experts were very difficult to suffer injuries, but when they did, it was usually a serious one. Fortunately, Dong Hai had the spirit pills concocted with the innate divine trees in Yuan Ling Dark Realm. Otherwise, even if Catfish survived, she would have fallen back to the realm of Gold Immortals.

Wu Qi glanced at the blood dripping from Catfish’s body on the deck and asked coldly, “Who are you?”

The general smiled and threw the pike into the air, which transformed into a ten-foot-long blue dragon and wheeled around him. “I’m Huo Wu, the Lord of Trialtars from the Heaven. The reason I stop you today is because of a personal grudge. It has nothing to do with the Heaven.”

Ao Buzun said in an obscene voice, “Aye? Personal grudge? I haven’t abducted a girl these two days, so I couldn’t have raped your mother or your wife, could I?”

Huo Wu smiled faintly as he shook his head and said, “You are a funny guy. Well, it is nothing serious actually. You’ve killed my lineal descendants in the mortal world, and therefore, I’m here to avenge them.”

He took a deep breath as he pointed at Wu Qi and sneered, “The Great Li Dynasty in the mortal world was my descendant, and Huo Wuliang was my lineal descendant. You’ve wiped out the dynasty and killed Huo Wuliang and his family. You leave me no choice but to avenge them!”

Wu Qi laughed as he turned to Lord Xiansheng and said, “I told you they’d find some excuse to give us a hard time. Only, in order to find an excuse to stop our march, he actually sent his children and grandchildren to let us slaughter at will. What a cruel man!”

Lord Xiansheng shook his head. Heaven’s doings made him contemptuous.

Yuan Qing, on the other hand, picked up his staff and rushed out. “I’m the one who killed your grandson! What are you going to do to me?”

However, before he could rush out, Wu Qi grabbed him by the neck and pulled him back.

“Ao Buzun, brother Xiansheng, you two go together!” Wu Qi snapped. “Yuan Qing, Gold Horn, Silver Horn, Gold Feather, Silver Feather, five of you will assist them. He is an eighth-tier Primordial Immortal, and he holds a seasoned Primordial Artifact. Be careful!”

Ao Buzun and Lord Xiansheng cried out in answer as they drew their weapons and walked out. In response, Huo Wu smiled and raised his right hand to the sky. The world turned red immediately as a boundless flaming cloud rolled toward the army.